The visual corticostriatal loop through the tail of the caudate: circuitry and function

Carol A Seger

doi:10.3389/fnsys.2013.00104

Abstract

Although high level visual cortex projects to a specific region of the striatum, the tail of the caudate, and participates in corticostriatal loops, the function of this visual corticostriatal system is not well understood. This article first reviews what is known about the anatomy of the visual corticostriatal loop across mammals, including rodents, cats, monkeys, and humans. Like other corticostriatal systems, the visual corticostriatal system includes both closed loop components (recurrent projections that return to the originating cortical location) and open loop components (projections that terminate in other neural regions). The article then reviews what previous empirical research has shown about the function of the tail of the caudate. The article finally addresses the possible functions of the closed and open loop connections of the visual loop in the context of theories and computational models of corticostriatal function.

Highlights

Modern research in the basal ganglia has become increasingly focused on cognitive functions, an extension from early work that focused on the role of dorsal circuits in motor processing, and ventral circuits through the nucleus accumbens in reward and addiction
This goal of this paper is to provide a thorough review of the anatomy and function of the visual corticostriatal loop
One goal of this review is to encourage basal ganglia researchers to consider how the visual loop might interact with other basal ganglia systems that they study

Summary

SYSTEMS NEUROSCIENCE

The visual corticostriatal loop through the tail of the caudate: circuitry and function. High level visual cortex projects to a specific region of the striatum, the tail of the caudate, and participates in corticostriatal loops, the function of this visual corticostriatal system is not well understood. This article first reviews what is known about the anatomy of the visual corticostriatal loop across mammals, including rodents, cats, monkeys, and humans. The article reviews what previous empirical research has shown about the function of the tail of the caudate. The article addresses the possible functions of the closed and open loop connections of the visual loop in the context of theories and computational models of corticostriatal function

INTRODUCTION

The visual corticostriatal loop

Anterior putamen and caudate

Visual corticostriatal projections in humans

Findings

CONCLUSION AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS